Zen and the art

I was 15 years old when I first read the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Even at that tender age I understood the importance of properly maintaining my machine.

My first motorcycle was a 1974 Honda CB 200. I had purchased the bike (well used) from the brother of a friend who said the bike was evil and wanted nothing to do with it. To me, it was the perfect opportunity to disregard the wishes of my parents and have my first motorcycle.

I didn't learn about the importance of maintenance from the book, though. I learned it while stopped at an intersection on Woodland Avenue in Duluth, MN on a rainy day in 1977. Something (probably a vacuum leak) caused the bike to go from its 500 RPM state of idle to WFO (a technical racing term) without any input on my part to the throttle. It couldn't have happened at a worse moment. In a panic, I popped the clutch and let all 25 lb/ft of torque have their way with my rear tire.

As I lay in the street next to my beloved steed traffic began to bear down on me. Two things became instantly clear. First, if I ever wanted to see my 16th birthday (and have a chance to earn an actual motorcycle license) I was going to have to get out of the path of the oncoming traffic. Second, I realized that owning a motorcycle meant properly maintaining that motorcycle.

Because the consequences of a motorcycle crash are far graver than a car crash, motorcyclists must do everything in their power to avoid them. When my friends chide me for spending so much time cleaning my bike, I remind them of the many times that I've found a screw in the tire, a burnt out headlight or even a broken weld because I was paying so much attention to detail while I cleaned the bike. Motorcycle maintenance is indeed an art.

Motorcycle musings

Welcome to my first blog....ever. My name is Chris Bujold. I'm a Realtor in Chandler, AZ, but my passion is riding and working on motorcycles. My objective with this blog is to provide useful information about all things motorcycle. I've turned my own wrenches for the past 30+ years, and I've learned a few practical things about riding a motorcycle as well. I will share details of epic rides and maybe even share my secrets about how to get the Mrs. on the back of the bike for a ride once in a while! So, throw on a helmet, jump on, hang on and enjoy.